Donna Mills Joins GENERAL HOSPITAL as Madeline Reeves

Donna Mills, best known for playing vixen Abby Fairgate Ewing on KNOTS LANDING, has joined the cast of GENERAL HOSPITAL.

She will be playing Madeline Reeves, the mother of Nina Clay and Nathan West (aka James Reeves).

Mills will debut on the March 14 episode.

This marks a return to daytime for Mills who started her television career on THE SECRET STORM before starring as Laura Donnelly in the original cast of LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING. Mills played the sister of longtime GH star Leslie Charleson on LIAMST.

Mills other primetime soap roles include Sherry Doucette on MELROSE PLACE and Bitsy Lourd in GCB.

My money is on her being Nina Clay's mother, second guess would be Julian's mother. Let's remember that Mills is 71 so she's a bit out of age range to play Olivia Jerome, who was already brilliantly played by Tonja Walker.

If she is Nina's mother, I'd love for her to turn out to be Monica's long-lost sister. We've never really known much about Monica's biological family and would be a great nod to their past roles on LIAMST.

I am beyond thrilled that Donna Mills is returning to daytime. I have wished for several years that this would happen.I doubted she would ever return to daytime as she has made many very negative remarks about daytime over the past 30 plus years. Below are a few of her comments: 1) Referring to being recognized as "Laura" in public 10 years after leaving daytime " I'm glad people remember but in a way the soap negates everything else I've done." 2} Appearing on the Canadian "Alan Thicke" talk show in 1982 after Alan said that daytime was good training " I don't know you can fall into a trap doing a soap. They are so ponderous. It"s this sit and have another cup of coffee mentality. Alan responded by saying "so people sit here and lie to me?" She then said "maybe they are afraid they'll have to do a soap again" 3) In a 1987 interview which is on YouTube" I think the daytime soap operas are a hard place to make a career. A couple of people have done it but for the most part you have to get out of there and move on. 4) " I don't go with calling shows like ours(Knotts Landing) nighttime soaps. The daytime shows go for caricatures. We do charictiterisations. We have much higher production values and much better writers." 5) Appearing on Tom Snyder's talk show he mentioned that she once played a nun on a soap opera and asked her what her character's name was. She looked at him as if he insulted her and said" I don't know I don't remember any of that". It is because I am such a big fan of her"s that these comments really bothered me. I felt they were a terrible slap in the face to the many wonderful actors who have made a great career in daytime. I couldn't help but wonder how her ex co-star from "Splendored Thing" Leslie Charleson felt about her comments. Having said all this I am very happy to see that she has set aside her ego and is coming to GH. Can't you just imagine her in scenes with Jane Elliot. I also hope she has lots of scenes with Leslie but I fear they may have a strained relationship in real life due to Donna's negative comments. I really hope this is a long term contract not just a few guest appearances. I can't wait to see her GH debut!!

DM was lousy in every role she ever had, she'll be just as bad in GH. DM is out of money or she wouldn't be in another soap. I doubt she will be able to keep up with the youngsters on the show, her 74 years will show for sure.